Heavyweight boxing & mixed martial arts ratings and commentary

Fight summaries

May 19, 2013

One spin kick, and suddenly Vitor Belfort is in title contention again. Belfort downed Luke Rockhold at the UFC on FX 8 card in Brazil with a spinning back kick before finishing him Belfort-style with a flurry of punches.

After losing to Anderson Silva in 2011, then moving up to light heavyweight to challenge (and lose to) Jon Jones in 2012, Belfort is in line to challenge Anderson again in 2013. This assumes, of course, that Silva defeats Chris Weidman on July 6th.

Before the fight, we ranked Belfort #8 among middleweights, with Rockhold having reached #3 through a string of victories. But Brazilian fighters are particularly tough when they have home country advantage, and Belfort went in 3-0 and left 4-0 when fighting there.

So who should get the next shot at Silva? Here's how things will look to us at 185 at the end of the month (approximately):

MayRank

JuneRank

Fighter

WC

Rating

Rated Record

May Results

1

1

Anderson Silva

MW

87.46

30-4-0

8

2

Vitor Belfort

MW

30.76

22-10-0

Beat #3 Luke Rockhold

2

3

Chris Weidman

MW

30.52

5-0-0

7

4

Ronaldo Souza

MW

25.62

13-2-0

Beat #24 Chris Camozzi

4

5

Constantinos Philippou

MW

25.13

5-1-0

5

6

Yushin Okami

MW

24.76

19-6-0

6

7

Tarec Saffiedine

MW

23.94

4-1-0

9

8

Alexander Shlemenko

MW

21.76

13-2-0

10

9

Ronny Markes

MW

21.54

3-0-0

3

10

Luke Rockhold

MW

20.44

6-1-0

Lost to #8 Vitor Belfort

Though the undefeated Weidman (9-0-0 overall) has been pushed to #3, he'll have a chance to play spoiler for Belfort if a rematch with Silva for the title is his goal. If Belfort just wants the title, pure and simple, he might root for Weidman to pull off the upset, since the Silva rematch might be a hard sell—though viable opponents for Silva have been running out for a long time at this point.

Another potential storyline involves new #4, Ronaldo Souza, who beat Chris Camozzi last night. With three Brazilians among the top four, and the UFC doing more frequent promotions in Brazil, there is no shortage of potential matches that can be made that would be wildly popular there.

Almost everyone would rank Cain Velasquez as the #1 heavyweight; in our rankings, it's Antonio Silva atop a logjam at #2, making next week's showdown at UFC 160 a 1 vs. 2 matchup in our book.

MayRank

JuneRank

Fighter

WC

Rating

Rated Record

May Results

1

1

Cain Velasquez

HW

63.51

8-1-0

2

2

Antonio Silva

HW

54.96

15-4-0

3

3

Fabricio Werdum

HW

53.77

15-5-1

4

4

Daniel Cormier

HW

53.15

9-0-0

5

5

Alistair Overeem

HW

45.70

29-12-0

last win -17 months.

6

6

Junior dos Santos

HW

43.90

9-1-0

7

7

Fedor Emelianenko

HW

35.50

27-4-0

8

8

Josh Barnett

HW

23.18

30-6-0

last win -20 months.

10

9

Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira

HW

20.77

32-7-1

11

10

Anthony Johnson

HW

20.61

12-5-0

For most, a 1 vs. 2 match would be Velasquez vs. Junior dos Santos, who is #6 in a crowded top six. Also ahead of dos Santos are Fabricio Werdum, who has done enough to earn a title shot right now; he will have to get past #9 Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, and if successful he should get the Velasquez-Silva winner. #4 Daniel Cormier is talking about moving down to 205; and Alistair Overeem hasn't had a good year and a half since beating Brock Lesnar in December 2011.

dos Santos takes the first step toward regaining his title next week at UFC 160 when he faces Mark Hunt, who is on a decent winning streak himself and ranks #13 currently.

December 01, 2012

Fury (19-0-0, 14 KOs) ranks #5 in the SportsRatings Heavyweight Boxing Top 100. Johnson, #98, is 28-2-1 with 13 KOs. Fury weighed in at 248 pounds, Johnson at 240 in just three weeks notice for the fight, held in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Fury has the height advantage at 6' 9" vs. Johnson's 6' 3"

Round by round scoring:

Fury is jabbing quite a bit, getting good reach on Johnson. Johnson returning with his jab occasionally. Fury's guard is fairly low. Fury is putting together a few combinations, too. Johnson is having his usual slow start. Fury throwing at least 3 jabs for every one of Johnson's. Fury 10-9.

Fury puts Johnson in the corner early, but Kingpin gets out. When Johnson lunges Fury is tying up. Johnson now employing more of a peek-a-boo defense to avoid the jab. Johnson moving forward on Fury, who continues to jab. Bodyshots by Johnson, Fury returns fire, succeeds with uppercuts, probably hit Johnson in the back of the head. Fury's workrate is giving Johnson trouble. Johnson misses with a big right. Fury takes the round. Fury 10-9, 20-18.

Johnson stalking Fury, Fury keeping him off with the jab. Johnson throwing few of his patented jabs, trying to find a distance that works. Johnson stays on the ropes, then tries to lunge to close the distance, Fury avoids. Fury completes a solid combination then closes in and clinches to avoid counterpunches. Fury hits Johnson in the back near the end, but he got a large majority of jabs and punches that round, too. Fury 10-9, 30-27.

Johnson stalks, then moves in to attack, but doesn't do a lot. Solid left from Johnson. Fury follows with several jabs. Johnson blocks jabs and returns of few good ones himself. Fury punched during a break and gets a talking-to from the ref. Johnson misses with a lunging left. Johnson lowers his guard while Fury circles. Johnson ends with a left, much better round from Kingpin. Johnson 10-9, Fury 39-37.

Fury looked a bit slower last round, like his activity in the first few rounds tired him a bit. Fury gets Johnson in headlock to avoid Johnson closing. Fury gets in short punches during clinch. Johnson gets Fury against ropes, good bodywork. Fury unloads a series of strong jabs to Johnson's face. Fury warned for elbows after another extended clinch. Johnson seems to be waiting for big opportunities, and is getting hit a lot, but seems to be weathering the storm pretty well. Fury 10-9, 49-46.

Fury comes out very strong in the sixth, gets warned for his punches again, backs Johnson to the ropes and connects with a solid combo. Fury takes southpaw stance, switches back to Orthodox, continues with the jabs and combos. Johnson slow on the attack as they move back to the center of the ring. Fury 10-9, 59-55.

Fury opens with a big left that misses. Johnson moving more this round, backing up, Fury warned for leaning on Johnson against the ropes, and has a full point deduction due to all his warnings he's had. Johnson stalking again. Solid left counterpunch from Johnson. Good jabs from Johnson, who is almost dancing at times to match Fury's motion. Fighters staying at distance, not doing much later in the round. Point deduction leads to good round for Kingpin. Johnson 10-8, Fury 67-65.

Fighters staying apart some more, Fury may be somewhat tired again. Fury comes alive with great combo, then raises his arms as if in victory, making Johnson a big mad, probably not a great idea. But Johnson continues his plodding stalking style. Good right from Fury. Fury was busier fighter again. Fury 10-9, 77-74.

Johnson needs every round now, at the very least, or a KO to win; let's see if he comes alive. Johnson still hesitant to attack. Jab by Johnson. Fury's quick jabs still troubling Johnson, who is stalking but not letting his hands go. Fury keeping his distance, much to the displeasure of the crowd. Johnson very tentative with his attacks. Johnson lunges and misses. Fury still respecting Johnson's skills, crowd not happy. 10-10 round, Fury 87-84.

Referee tells the fighters to mix it up more, as there was little action in Round Nine. Fury remains at distance, however, but is jabbing a bit more. Johnson looking for a big counterpunch, it seems. Fury isn't letting him have it. Solid right hook from Fury. Johnson not hurt but not getting the best of the exchanges; misses with another right hook as Fury ducks under yet again. Good action near the end. Fury 10-9, 97-93.

Fury's corner telling him not to take any chances, good advice since the win is at hand unless he gets in trouble. Fury opens with a looping right that partially connects. Fury jabs, Johnson responds in kind. Fury boxing against Johnson's guard like he's sparring. Johnson looks annoyed with Fury but isn't doing much about it. Fury's straight jabs and punches keeping him away. Another good combo from Fury. Fury hits clearly in the back of the head again. But time is running out for Johnson. Fury 10-9, 107-102.

Johnson loops agressive left, doesn't harm Fury. Johnson looks a bit more serious, but still isn't particularly active. Looking for an opening, but Fury's not giving him one. Johnson looks like he's planning to win a 30-rounder, not in the final round of a 12-round. Strong left by Johnson, the two trade punches, nothing fazes either man. Good overhand right by Johnson. Two trading jabs near the end. 10-10, Fury 117-112.

Scorecards give the fight to Tyson Fury, 119-110 and 2 x 119-108, a bit wider in Ireland than I scored it here, but either way he clearly won. Johnson again showed how much he can take, but also how little offense he has. He hoped to make a brawl out of it and Fury wouldn't do it, and thereby avoided getting hurt. Fury showed how well he can box and how much discipline he's capable of having. In some ways it's Fury's most impressive showing.

What it would mean in a potential matchup against a Klitschko, or even against David Price, is hard to say. The strategies he employed today wouldn't work at all against either. But at least it shows he will listen to what his corner says when they tailor a strategy for a particular bout.

July 14, 2012

No real title on the line, but this fight is creating more interest than most heavyweight bouts have recently.

David Haye ranks #12 in our latest Top 100 while Chisora has fallen out based on his three recent defeats. Despite those, his losses have been to the #2, #4, and #5 fighters. The fight is only a 10-rounder.

Round One: Early left hand by Chisora connects as both start in frenetic manner by little result. Chisora trying to crowd Haye, Haye staying active to avoid that. Chisora working the jab conservatively, both tying up. Now Chisora throws a few bombs but misses. Haye more active but Chisora probably wins the round on ring control and only decent shot. Chisora 10-9.

Round Two: Haye staying very busy, Chisora showing a lot of head movement. Haye connects with a solid right cross with 1 minute gone. Haye with his hands down now, looking for openings. Haye preventing Chisora's forward movement with swipes and jabs. Chisora not unloading as much but he unleashes a downward windmill that misses but gets him a warming from the ref. Infighting and tangled up, Chisora chops the top of Haye's head. Some swinging after the bell. Haye's round. 19-19

Round Three: Chisora gets Haye in the corner, Haye ties him up. Haye picking off shots where he can in between Chisora's advances. Good combo from Haye as Chisora covers up. The two have been very active but scoring hasn't been frequent. Haye with hands low again, depending on his speed to dodge and pre-emptive punching. Good uppercut while infighting from Haye pops Chisora's head up and back. Chisora connects and Haye fights back well, then after the bell (which neither fighter heard) Chisora connects with his best shot of the night and rocked Haye (as it turns out the round was stopped prematurely, which is why the bell never sounded). Haye's round 29-28.

Round Four: Haye showing anger from late shot, hard to tell if he was affected. Haye is looking more conservative, until Chisora rocks him again, Haye returns fire very well! Now Chisora on the ropes, looks a bit stunned. But after a bit he turns the tables and tags Haye. Haye springs into range and lands a solid punch. Great action this round, back and forth, hard to tell who has been affected more. Haye still springing around though. Two are tied up late and when separated, Haye gets in a few more minor shots. Haye had the better, longer combinations in a fairly even round. Haye 39-37.

Round Five: Chisora backing Haye up again, mostly missing in the corner and against the ropes. Huge swings from Chisora and Haye miss; great straight right from Haye, then he ducks Chisora's return fire. Another right, and another duck. Infighting again, Chisora scores an uppercut. Haye takes another shot against the ropes; two waltz again and infight. Combination from Haye sends Chisora to the canvas! Chisora gets up and the two exchange in a huge flurry; Chisora down again from another combo late! Chisora gets up but fight is stopped in the fifth round. David Haye wins by 5th round TKO with no time (officially 1 second) left in the round.

Analysis: Impressive return to form for David Haye. Chisora has lost several times recently, but he was terribly out of shape vs. Tyson Fury, went the distance with Vitali Klitschko, and most people think he beat Robert Helenius. Haye left no doubt with this one, outboxing Chisora throughout and put on a clinic at the end with his speed and power. Haye will be back in our top ten in the next rankings.

Chisora probably needs to fight somebody who is not in the top ten, to get a win under his belt again. He's severely underrated in our Top 100 due to his string of losses, but he can get right back in it with a quality win. Such is boxing; you're always considered better than last guy you've defeated.

Kevin "Kingpin" Johnson is appropriately a fairly heavy favorite, but he's a slow starter and will need to turn it on sooner than later. Albert Sosnowski, like Johnson, lost to Vitali Klitchko, but since then he's been less than stellar, drawing with to Hastings Rasani. American Tor Hamer was making waves before his disappointing loss to Kelvin Price two years ago; Tom Dallas looks to rebound from losses that slowed his upward climb; as does big Brazilian Marcelo Nascimento. Maurice Harris is the journeyman of the field. Relative newcomer Tom Little jumped into our rankings after beating Rasani (after he'd drawn with Sosnowski) but will likely see his ranking come back to reality before the night is over. Noureddine Meddoune is our only unranked fighter; he lost his very first bout but has 4 KOs since then.

Fight #1: Harris vs. Sosnowksi

First round both fighters come out strong, Sosnowski scores early but Harris rocks him at the minute mark. Sosnowski unsteady for the next minute or so before he comes back and may have stolen the round from being busier. Harris had the much bigger punches though.

Second round Sosnowski stays busy, Harris isn't connecting like he did in the first round. It's easy to see why Harris doesn't get decisions. Sosnowski lets his guard down after the ref separated them and gets whacked by a strong left from Harris. But the round probably goes to Sosnowski and the fight is very close if not tied.

Third round: Harris is strangely retreating to start the round instead of showing any urgency. Lots of tie ups this round. In the final minute Harris starts to come alive, throwing more than he did all fight but not as effectively as in the first round. A pretty bland fight overall, Sosnowski could win on work rate alone. But it's up in the air.

Decision: Split decision for Sosnowski, which seems about right. Harris will again complain about the judging in his fights, but his work rate is a problem.

Fight #2: Johnson vs. Meddoune

Round One: Johnson starting slow and carefully as Meddoune takes his shots at landing a big one. Meddoune is missing all his hooks so far while Johnson gives the occasional jab. Johnson starts mixing it up a bit more midway thru the round. Big right from Johnson following the jab. Another right and Meddoune is down for the 8 count. Huge right from Johnson send Meddoune sprawling into the ropes, and the fight is stopped when Johnson follows up.

Result: Johnson TKO Meddoune with 1 second left in the first round.

Fight #3: Hamer vs. Nascimento

Round One: Not much action early as Hamer adjusts to Nascimento's height. He gets going a bit after the first minute; Nascimento whiffs on a huge windmill left. Hamer lands his best punch at the minute mark but neither fighter has been hurt. Now Hamer whiffs with a haymaker. Hamer takes the round.

Round Two: Hamer controls the action for most of the round, as Nascimento whiffs twice on huge punches while Hamer pecks him apart. Both fighters trade giant whiffing punches in the last minute, but Hamer connected during the round while Nascimento hardly did.

Round Three: Nascimento needs a KO, and is punching for the stars. Hamer connects with a counter and attacks, pushing Nascimento to the canvas, and it's ruled a knockdown. Nascimento windmilling over and over again, Hamer avoiding them, occasionally countering. Hamer clearly won, probably winning all 3 rounds plus the "knockdown."

Decision: Unanimous decision for Tor Hamer, though one judge had it just 29-28.

Fight #4: Dallas vs. Little

Round One: Both Toms mixing it up heavy early. Both are around 6' 6". Little is brawling while Dallas is boxing, but the results in the first half of the round are inconclusive as Little keeps coming and getting in some wild combos. Dallas countering well to keep things from getting out of hand. Little still the agressor despite Dallas' strong response. Little appears to be tiring at the end of the round. A close round; Dallas showed better boxing skill but might have been outworked.

Round Two: Both trying to take the upper hand against the ropes. Little's brawling style still troubling Dallas. After resting, Little comes alive again, connecting with a strong right. Another combo with a minute left rocks Dallas. Both fighters are exhausted for the last minute. Little might have won the round but will he have anything left for the third?

Round Three: Dallas gets Little on the ropes, then in mid-round Dallas' combos put Little on the canvas, more due to exhaustion than anything. When he gets up, it isn't long before the ref stops the fight, Little is nearly collapsing on his feet. Dallas will advance but he had a really rough, tiring fight compared to what Hamer had.

Result: Dallas TKO round 3 Little

SportsRatings Heavyweight Rankings update:

#36 Kevin Johnson (27-1-1) even at #36

#196 Tom Dallas (16-2-0) up to #91

#114 Tor Hamer (16-1-0) up to #112

#55 Tom Little (3-1-0) down to #114

#170 Albert Sosnowski (47-4-2) up to #148

#198 Maurice Harris (25-17-2) down to #235

#251 Marcelo Luis Nascimento (16-4-0) down to #271

NR Noureddine Meddoune (4-2-0) still unranked

Semifinal #1: Johnson vs. Sosnowski

Round One: A clash of styles with the calm Johnson against the frenetic Sosnowski. First minute is all Sosnowski's workrate and a few jabs from Johnson. Sosnowski tags Johnson a few times, no harm done but Johnson still biding his time. Final minute, neither fighter doing much. Round probably to Sosnowski due to workrate. Remember it took Vitali Klitchko 6 rounds to figure out Sosnowski; Johnson might have to think fast.

Round Two: Johnson not looking very concerned for a 3-round fight, not throwing much at all. Johnson lands a few left hooks, a good stiff jab later. Sosnowski has slowed down a lot in this round. Johnson's jab is getting through. He's staying out of Sosnowski's range too, until a late right connects. Johnson takes the round, and it's probably down to round 3.

Round Three: First minute relatively quiet like the 2nd round. Johnson not showing any fire or intensity, or workrate at all. With a minute left he pushes Sosnowski through the ropes. Final seconds not terribly energetic. Johnson may have won the round and the fight but if he doesn't, he has no one to blame but himself.

Decision: Split decision for Kevin Johnson, with one judge scoring it 30-27 for Johnson.

Semifinal #2: Hamer vs. Dallas

Round One: Both fighters come out swinging, with Hamer looking to take advantage of Dallas' last bout. Dallas defends well for a while before Hamer lands a huge right that leaves Dallas out on his feet against the ropes, and the fight is stopped after about 30 seconds.

Result: Hamer TKO 1 Dallas

SportsRatings Heavyweight Rankings update:

#36 Kevin Johnson (28-1-1) even at #36 then up to #28

#114 Tor Hamer (17-1-0) up to #112, then up to #64

#196 Tom Dallas (16-4-0) up to #91, then down to #145

#170 Albert Sosnowski (47-5-2) up to #148, then down to #196

Final: #28 Kevin Johnson vs. #64 Tor Hamer

Round One: Johnson working the jab early, Johnson blocking a lot of Hamer's flurries. Kingpin walking down Hamer. Hamer rushes in and clinches, showing more respect by far than he did in the last fight. Hamer trying to use his speed to be elusive, but Johnson gets in a jab and uppercut, Hamer responds with a hard combo. Hamer hits to the back of the head in the last few seconds. Johnson probably won the round on jabs, but Hamer gained a lot of confidence.

Round Two: Johnson comes out the agressor with the jab again. Hamer giving Johnson trouble the way Sosnowski did, through speed and elusiveness, but Hamer connecting more than Sosnowski did. Hamer picking away from the outside, and may have taken the round.

Round Three: Johnson trying to get the jab going again early. Hamer full of confidence though. Johnson looks too relaxed and indeed, dull. Hamer definitely looks like the livelier fighter. With a minute left both fighters are in danger of losing but neither is acting like this is the last round. Johnson might have won that round...or lost it, since Hamer looked busier than the plodding Johnson. Could go either way, though.

Decision: Unanimous decision for Tor Hamer.

Kevin Johnson takes the 2nd loss of his career. The 3-round format was not good for Kingpin. The win will boost Hamer to around #26, and Johnson falls to #89.

February 25, 2012

#3 ranked Heavyweight boxer Alexander Povetkin defeated Marco Huck, who was competing in his first bout since moving up from Cruiserweight, in a majority decision in Germany. One judge scored the fight a draw, while the others gave it to Povetkin by a small margin of 3 and 4 rounds. We scored the fight for Povetkin by three rounds.

Generally Povetkin started the rounds strong with clean jabs and combinations, then in the 2nd half of the round Huck would scrap, fighting "dirty" and letting his hands go, which tended to fluster Povetkin.

Throughout the fight Povetkin would duck low and Huck would come over the top and hit Povetkin at or near the back of the head. Huck often continued to fight in the clinch, with both fighters' elbows and fists flying wildly and erratically. And many times in the later part of rounds, Huck's jabs found their mark first when both fighters made their move simultaneously.

Povetkin reasserts control in first half of round, though Huck has some moments later, more shots to back of head. 10-9 Povetkin, 77-75

Lots of jabs from both, more scrapping, but not as much contact. 10-10; 87-85 Povetkin

Povetkin starts strong with clean punches, Huck comes back with more scrapping. Back of head punch from Huck at bell. No clear winner; Povetkin should have been warned about ducking low and Huck about rabbit punching by now. 10-10; 97-95 Povetkin

Clean shots from Povetkin start the round, rocking Huck. Povetkin lands a few after the ref had separated them, Huck connects with another rabbit punch. Povetkin came on strong at the bell, Huck landed just after. 10-9 Povetkin; 107-104

Povetkin looked very strong at the start of the round, but Huck connected with a huge right in the middle. Povetkin battled back though. Both fighters were very tired at end of a great round. Hard round to score, very typical of the fight where Huck came on strong in the 2nd half of rounds after obviously losing the first half. Call that another 10-10, 117-114 Povetkin

The German judges scored it: 114-114; and 116-113, 116-112 Povetkin.

Huck fans complained, but considering the venue I don't think they have much ground to stand on. Povetkin clearly had more clean shots throughout the fight, and the fans oversold the amount of Huck's flailing that actually landed.

Still, it was a very game effort from Huck, taking on an undefeated fighter in his first heavyweight outing and not really being in danger of being taken out. Generally a very good, exciting fight; I wouldn't doubt if there were a rematch. Given this performance, Huck would be a potentially dangerous opponent for anyone else in the division, save perhaps the Klitschkos of course.

February 18, 2012

Vitali Klitschko, #2 in SportsRatings' Heavyweight Boxing rankings, and #87 Dereck Chisora fight on February 18 in Germany, a day after The Slap:

Will it hurt or help Chisora, who is of course a decided underdog after (officially) losing his last two bouts? The first was to #4 Tyson Fury when Chisora was terribly out of shape, and the subsequent bout to #5 Robert Helenius was a very controversial decision for Helenius.

"The Slap" is not likely to change the dynamic that much given the difference in talent and expectations, but in some ways shaking things up can't hurt Chisora. When the clear path ahead of you leads to defeat, anything you can do to disturb those conditions is better than simply being led down the path.

It's also questionable whether it was a strategic move by Chisora or just his hot head; remember, he actually bit Paul Butlin during their bout in 2009. If things go badly for Chisora in the early rounds, will he actually "pull out all the stops" including underhanded tactics? In that case it could make the fight interesting. It has certainly added interest, and the crowd in Munich is very anti-Chisora in addition to being pro-Klitschko as usual.

The was delayed for over 1/2 hour due to a "dispute" over Chisora's hand tape. Live round-by-round scoring will commence with the fight. There was some pushing and shoving in the ring before the national anthems (for which Chisora used America the Beautiful).

Round One: Klitschko pawing and Chisora ducking a lot; some wrestling from Chisora. It's very much a scrap as opposed to a "sweet science" bout so far. Klitscho timing Chisora's entries with jabs. Chisora very active, but late in the round was already covering up more than he did early, his work rate slowing. Klitscho 10-9.

Round Two: Chisora comes out lunging again, swinging wildly at times, backing Vitali up. Vitali responding methodically, Chisora using a cross guard. More tying up, wrestling. Vitali pummels Chisora with some hard shots, tied up again. Now Chisora is backing up when Vitali winds up, but he's still active, swinging harder than almost anyone has tried lately against Vitali. Vitali's guard is low and he's hitting Chisora with hard shots. Chisora again, late in the round, standing inactive in front of Klitschko. Klitschko 10-9, 20-18.

Round Three: Chisora still moving forward, but not lunging in or swinging as much. Vitali dancing, backing up and countering well. He doesn't look concerned. Chisora keeps moving into range, and Klitschko backs up a bit and hits him. Still with the guard very low, luring his opponent in. Chisora is starting to look like every Klitschko opponent, inactive and standing in front, in range. Big shot at the end by Chisora whiffs as Vitali saw it all the way. Klitschko 10-9; 30-27.

Round Four: Chisora doing better early on, taking direction from his corner to at least throw an entry jab instead of nothing. Moving his head more, too, like he did in round one. Ducking Klitschko's overhand rights. Still, nothing substantial coming from him offensively as Vitali ties him up when he gets too close. Chisora nearly catches Vitali with a big punch and Vitali stumbles a bit; another haymaker just misses. Vitali looking a bit tired for the first time in the fight. Lots of tying up late in the round as both fighters slowing a bit. 10-10; Klitschko 40-37. Judges call it 40-36, 40-37, and 39-37 at this point. First 3 rounds unanimous, I'm sure, and last round called three different ways.

Round Five: Chisora still swinging for that one big shot, but none are connecting; he doesn't have the speed to surprise Vitali. Still moving forward, Klitschko backpedalling, throwing short punches. He blocks a Chisora punch with his glove. He's looking like the opposite of Kevin Johnson against Vitali—not much defense but very active on offense. Klitschko 10-9; 50-46.

Round Six: Body punches by Chisora in the first minute; he even gets a tap in on VItali's chin in the tie-up. Vitali looks more annoyed than hurt. A strong right from Chisora was his best punch of the fight. Now Vitali looks tired, but not in trouble. Not much action in the last minute as Chisora slows down. Chisora barely won that round, barely. Chisora 10-9; Klitschko 59-56.

Round Seven: Chisora starts off very active, not connecting much but putting Vitali back on his heels. Decent right connects, but Vitali battles back. Looking like a real brawl now in the middle of the seventh. Chisora slowing down a lot in the 2nd half of the round, though, looking quite tired. Klitschko scoring a bit in the last minute to the crowd's delight. Each fighter won half the round. 10-10; Klitschko 69-66.

Round Eight: Once again, Chisora coming in strong to start. Both are trading punches in center ring, moving around each other, both a high work rate in the first minute, but both tired. Looping overhand to the head connects for Chisora, Vitali responds with straight right. More looping rights to the head connect for Chisora. Hell of a first two minutes. Chisora still fighting hard, Klitschko notably tired—so is Chisora but he's pushing forward. Chisora 10-9; Klitschko 78-76. Scorecards say: 79-74; 79-73; 79-73 so the judges aren't giving Chisora as much credit, and Vitali isn't in much danger of losing on the cards.

Round Nine: The brawl continues where it left off. Not many solid shots but lots of partially connecting punches, slipped punches, and wrestling. Chisora seems to have lost his fear and isn't freezing like he did a few rounds ago. He's probably about as tired as he can get, so he keeps pressing on. Vitali is moving slower, too. Good right from Klitschko. Another punch to the face gets the crowd going. Klitschko 10-9; 88-85.

Round Ten: Vitali seems strengthened by the scorecard numbers, which weren't revealed until after the ninth by mistake. He looks looser and is fighting more his fight in the ninth. Meanwhile Chisora may be running out of gas. Will he have enough to make the last few rounds interesting? He finishes will a good punch, but Klitschko takes the round 10-9; 98-94.

Round Eleven: Chisora needs a knockout, obviously, and has two rounds to do it. Vitali wants a KO, too. Chisora back to his tired style, walking in slowly and trying a haymaker instead of jabbing and pressing. Uppercut by Chisora connects but isn't effective. Three strong jabs from Vitali and Chisora lunges in, tied up. Vitali feeling it now, dancing, jabbing and landing, while still tired. Chisora not giving up by a long shot, still has the strength for big haymaker attempts but none has connected. Klitschko 10-9; 108-103.

Round Twelve: Fighters touch gloves before the round. Chisora starts off carefully rather than bulldozing like he has before. Looking for that one punch to change the fight. Vitali tying up Chisora when he gets inside. Jabs to the face by Klitschko. Last minute, but Chisora doesn't look as active this round. Picks it up a bit late but has can't get the big punch he needs. Good shot near the end but it's too little too late. 10-10; Klitschko 118-113.

All in all a very good effort by Chisora. He never quit, and was never in danger of being knocked out. He lost to a better fighter, mainly because of size and reach advantage rather than boxing prowess, though Vitali was generally more skilled of the two. Chisora did his best to mix things up and keep Klitschko off balance, and it worked at times, but the judges in Germany didn't give him very much credit for it based on the 8th round scores.

The final cards: 118-110, 118-110, 119-111 for Klitschko. Chisora still acting like an idiot after the fight, trying to start another one. Maybe angling for a fight with Wladimir? Or maybe he's just an idiot, like he proved again Paul Butlin. It's too bad, as he conducted himself well in the ring (well, while the fight was going on. He did spit water into Wladimir's face prior to the staredown, but Wladimir just smiled.)

September 11, 2011

It was treated as a big upset but shouldn't have been. Daniel Cormier, subbing for the "injured" Alestair Overeem, knocked out Antonio Silva in the first round in the Strikeforce heavyweight tournament semifinals. As expected, Josh Barnett advanced after smothering Sergei Kharitonov in the other semi-final.

Cormier was only 8-0 but in all likelihood was the 2nd best heavyweight in the world coming into the bout. He trains with the probable #1, UFC champion Cain Velasquez. And just as Velasquez beat Brock Lesnar the way a prime Fedor Emelianenko would have, so did Cormier handle Silva. Of course, Fedor lost to Silva by fighting stupid—ignoring the man's fists and size.

Cormier, however, had respect for Silva's punching power and, when the fight went to the ground, he didn't try a lot from inside Silva's guard, instead deciding to let Silva up for more standup fighting. Cormier avoided Silva's rushes and punches early, unlike Fedor who basically tried to ignore them.

Now Cormier, an olympic caliber wrestler, is nearly as good at standup fighting. In other words he's a lot like Velasquez, another superb wrestler who has great standup skills. Both men have incredible speed, and that speed was the difference against Silva. Silva's punches are big but slow and telegraphed, while Cormier has the speed of the old Fedor. He's also built a lot like Fedor, with a big of extra padding around the waist, but that doesn't mean he's not explosive.

Barnett, after several positive steroid tests over his career, looks like he's finally kicked the habit judging by his new, less bulky physique. Either that or he's cycling down a lot sooner before the tests as he fights in America rather than Japan where they like their fighters juiced up. But he looks so much smaller I'd wager he's off the stuff for good.

He still has his skill, and he's one of the last true ground-and-pounders. This is mainly because of his skill at takedowns. As takedown defense becomes better and better, many of the ground-and-pounders fell to the wayside. But Barnett doesn't give up upon first resistance, as he showed with Kharitonov. After taking a few too many punches for comfort, he latched on to Kharitonov and held him there until he could execute a fantastic takedown directly into mount. It wasn't pretty, but it was very effective as he used his bodyweight alone to do the work.

Once in mount, Barnett also displayed on old-school ability to stay in mount and not let the opponent escape. Instead of unleashing punches, he takes only those that he can get without jeopardizing his stability, switching between a smothering stance and a post-up-for-punches stance. He only abandoned the mount at the end as he applied an arm-triangle choke and moved his body to the side for added torque.

It sets up a very interesting final. Barnett will have his hands full on the ground with Cormier, and Cormier is certainly the better standup fighter. Is Barnett going to be able to execute a takedown against a world class wrestler like Cormier? Beating Bret Rogers and Kharitonov is one thing, but Cormier will present a unique challenge. Barnett's main advantage will be experience, as Cormier still has fewer than 10 fights under his belt.

September 10, 2011

Does Tomasz Adamek (44-1; 6-0 against heavyweights) have any hope against Vitali Klitschko (42-2)?

Adamek had trouble with some of the heavyweights he defeated since moving up from cruiserweight. Klitschko is taller than Michael Grant and hits harder than Chris Arreola and technically runs rings around anyone Adamek has faced.

Klitschko had a bit of trouble early against another Polish fighter, Albert Sosnowski, before finding his rhythm in the 7th round and dominating late and scoring a 10th round TKO. Will Adamek's movement, quickness, and heart make a difference?

The odds are long against. Klitschko outweights Adamek by 25 pounds, is 6 inches taller and has a 5 inch reach advantage. He's barely lost a round in his career. The only things Adamek has going for him are the ever-repeated hope that Klitschko's age will suddenly catch up with him, and the home ring advantage of fighting in Wroclaw, Poland.

It would be a big upset if Adamek can wrest the WBC belt from Vitali, and in our eyes most likely the fight will resemble the Klitschko-Sosnowski bout, or last month's Helenius-Lyakhovich fight, depending on Adamek's workrate. But we shall see.

Round Two: Adamek not fighting like Lyakhovich at all, nor is he giving Vitali any trouble like Sosnowski. He does get in a tepid combo that backs Vitali up. Vitali gets in a few uppercuts. Adamek lunging in trying to make something happen, and one time he does connect and the crowd roars; Vitali counters with jabs. A lot more scrapping this round. Big right by Klitschko with under a minute to go. Another right and a left by Klitschko, and another one bounces Adamek off the ropes but he stays up. Klitschko 10-9; 20-18.

Round Three: Let's see if Vitali smells blood. Klitschko's straight arm wards off Adamek's entry attempts. Peppering Adamek with jabs and straight rights, and uppercuts when Adamek ducks. The reach advantage is killing Adamek as it does with nearly everyone the Klitschkos face. Adamek having almost no success this round. Klitschko 10-9; 30-27.

Round Four: Current odds on Klitschko have gone up to 500-1. That's worth a $5 bet on Adamek right? More of the same midway through the first round. Adamek gets in a looping right hook, starting to harass Klitschko a bit. He gets inside for a bit and didn't stay there, but he's doing a lot better knowing how to time Klitschko's approaches. He gets in a wide right hook to the side of Klitschko's head near the end. Can't really give him the round though, but it could be a draw. 10-10; Klitschko 40-37. Note: Official scorecards have it 40-36 across the board.

Round Five: Adamek is looking a lot better, and Klitschko is breathing a bit hard. But the dynamic hasn't reversed. Klitschko hits Adamek with good rights and lefts to re-establish his dominance, as Adamek stays in perfect range for Vitali. Good uppercuts from Vitali near the end. Klitschko 10-9; 50-46.

Round Six: Klitschko is picking his spots with rights and jabs, and after a minute he knocks Adamek against the post for a knockdown, though he doesn't leave his feet. It's just a matter of time as Adamek stumbles around the ring. More punishment from Vitali, but Adamek stays on his feet. Klitschko 10-8; 60-54

Round Seven: Vitali stalking him as Adamek is doing nothing but head movement and bobbing a bit. Now he tries a few entries but doesn't commit. Bodyshot by Adamek his first strike in a few rounds. Klitschko doing less this round, too, waiting for KO punch. Very little activity with :30 left. Maybe Vitali put money on the 8th round. Klitschko 10-9; 70-63.

Round Eight: Decent shot by Ademek early in the round, but Vitali has a few before and after it. And as the round continues the same pattern repeats. Jabs when Adamek enters, and left-right combos when he stays at a distance. KLITSCHKO trips and goes down! Not a knockdown but as the round ends we'll see if he moves okay next round. Klitschko 10-9; 80-72; official scorecards all 80-71.

Round Nine: A more active round by Klitschko, peppering Adamek with shots. Good return shot from Adamek gets the crowd cheering but it's 10 to 1 in terms of those. Klitschko 10-9; 90-81

Round Ten: If Adamek holds on it's going to be a huge landslide in the scoring. Adamek still lunging in occasionally against all odds. Adamek getting hit at will and in very bad shape, not defending himself. Somehow he stays on his feet, but the referee stops the bout. There was a good minute where Klitschko had free reign to hit him; in the last minute he hit Ademek more than he was hit the entire fight.

Klitschko wins yet again; the dominance continues. Respect shown for his opponent afterwards, but it wasn't a big challenge against a much smaller man who had no chance from the starts.

Adamek was a very weak #4 in our rankings and will drop out of the top ten, as is probably correct given his questionable performances against other top heavies.

Round One - Lots of circling and feeling out. Chagaev had the best punch of the round but Povetkin did a bit more. Not committing to this one. 10-10

Round Two - More of the same, lots of pawing. Chagaev isn't connecting often but is blocking the meat of Povetkin's occasional flurries. Chagaev 10-9; Chagaev 20-19.

Round Three - The Epix feed sucks ass. Povetkin pushing Chagaev with energetic flurries. Chag blocks most everything again but he's getting pressured, and Povetkin connects on a few. A lot more action this round. Good exchange at the end. Povetkin 10-9; 29-29.

Round Four - Nice action to start the round, both fighters connecting, counterpunches from both fighters. Nice straight left by Chagaev. Potetkin starting to get combinations going in the 2nd half of the round. Povetkin 10-9. Povetkin 39-38

Round Five - Both fighters moving a bit slower after the action the last two rounds. Great counter by Chagaev after Povetkin's flurry. Good uppercut by Povetkin. Again Povetkin doing better in the 2nd half of the round after a good start by Chagaev. Povetkin 10-9; Povetkin 49-37.

Round Six - Chagaev stalking, connects with a left, and two more has Povetkin stunned, but Alex is fighting his way back. Great action this round. Uppercut left by Chagaev. Stiff right by Chagaev. Povetkin gets an uppercut in, looks a bit tired but not in trouble. Best round by either fighter for Chagaev, 10-9. Povetkin 58-47.

Round Seven - Left hand again by Chagaev. Povetkin's punches are softer. Chagaev senses he has figured out how to hurt Povetkin and looks like a pit bull. Both fighters taking it easy in the 2nd half of the round. Chagaev 10-9. 67-67.

Round Eight - Chagaev attacks and Povetkin's response isn't strong. Povetkin ducks big left from Chag. This is not a good advertisement for EpixHD. I think I saw most of that round, and have to call it a draw. 10-10, 77-77. But Chagaev is controlling the pace and probably won that round.

Round Nine: Between rounds Teddy Atlas is actually telling Povetkin he can bring his father back to life if Povetkin becomes champion. Some good uppercuts from Povetkin mid-round. Povetkin goes to body, Chagaev good counter. Povetkin's best round in a while 10-9. 87-86 Povetkin

Round Ten: Basically Povetkin's uppercuts vs. Chagaev's lefts has been the story of the fight, and whoever gets more in the last 3 rounds wins. Povetkin is doing more of what he wants than Chagaev this round. Chagaev may be a bit out of gas just as Povetkin is waking up. Povetkin is the agressor at the end of the round. Povetkin 10-9, 97-95.

Round Eleven: Fuck Epix, their streams suck. I missed a lot of this round but what I saw Chagaev did a bit better this round. Chagaev 10-9. Povetkin 106-105.

Round Twelve: Teddy Atlas is telling Povetkin to avoid the knockout attempt he says is coming from Chagaev. Povetkin is running from Chag's lefts, which don't connect. Uppercut from Povetkin does, though. Povetkin flurries, then exits before Chagaev can counter. Chagaev gets a left through with a minute left. Too little too late. It's going to be an interesting decision. I have Povetkin 10-9, 116-114.

116-112, 117-113, and 117-113 all for Alexander Povetkin. Chagaev had the fight in the bag but let up and Povetkin get back into it. Chagaev probably got tired after some of his better rounds.

The main thing I take away from this bout is that EpixHD is terrible. I missed a good 30 seconds of each round on average, or rather, saw the same 5 seconds about 3-4 times per round.

Helenius vs. Liakhovich scoring

Liakhovich (L from now on, Helenius is H) looks out of shape. H isn't exactly ripped but isn't chubby like L. Helenius is undefeated.

Round One: L is active and jumping inside and back out. Getting some jabs in. H just working on keeping the distance. L scored a bit early, after that not much happened. Liakhovich 10-9.

Round Two: Another jab from L. H starts jab but isn't connecting. L gets the straight left through when H jabs, but his punches aren't hurting H. Body shot from H. I actually give that one to Liakhovich, too. 10-9; Liakhovich 20-18.

Round Three: Let's see if Helenius gets a sense of urgency to do something, or when he really gets going. H is punching harder this round. H is kind of being outboxed so far. L has a nosebleed. More action that round, and pretty even. 10-10. 30-28 Liakhovich.

Round Four: L continues to be agressive, may have some confidence. H is realizing he's going to be in for a scrap, even though it still doesn't appear L is huring H much at all. L is still very energetic, H is keeping his cool, counterpunching. But he's clearly not fighting his fight; L is controlling the pace and action. H wins that round, however, 10-9. Liakhovich 39-38.

Round Five: L is taking H's advantages (size, reach) away. Good combo punching by H, lands some good crosses. There's no quit in Liakhovich however. Good counter by L. Pretty even round by the end, but I give it to H for the middle part where he nearly rocked L. Helenius 10-9; tie 48-48

Round Six: Good combo by H but L comes roaring back, in energy if not effectiveness. He hasn't slowed down all bout, and has definitely been the busier fighter. Both fighters connecting but H isn't bleeding. tie 10-10, 58-58.

Round Seven: H is having a tough time taking control of the fight; it looks like lack of experience. He's still not determining the fight's pace this round but is getting the better of the punches that do connect. H 10-9; Helenius 68-67.

Round Eight: H is marking up L's face but L is hardly slowing. H goes off on L late in the round and he goes to a knee. Helenius 10-8; Helenius 78-75.

Round Nine: How much longer can L last? He's expended so much energy. Helenius catches him with and uppercut and then some strong shots and the ref stops the fight. Helenius by TKO.

The interesting thing so far is that it's raining pretty heavy in Hamburg, Germany, and the fight is taking place in an outdoor soccer stadium. The canvas is covered right now, so the ring will be dry to start with, but if it keeps raining it won't stay dry long. It's also fairly cold in Hamburg, about 57 degrees F.

The rain is lighter as Haye comes out to the ring. The fight looks like it will start a bit late, maybe closer to 5:30 EST. The huge contingent of British fans is pretty sauced up for the fight, and Haye's bodyguards are having to shove their way through the crowd. The love/hate partisanship from the crowd for Haye is very apparent.

Klitschko for his part has a bizarre intro video featuring Haye, George Foreman, and brother Vitali, enumerating Wladimir's problems with Haye's behavior, shown just before he walks to the ring. Quite a bit of buildup for this fight, no doubt.

The national anthems are playing, so the fight should begin shortly. Introductions are over, the fight is ready to begin.

Round One: Lots of footwork early, both fighters look energetic. Rain is still coming down. Haye so far has avoided Wlad's jab. Klitschko threw Haye to the ground with his glove, no knockdown but a bit of intimidation. Haye's guard is down, taunting Klitschko. Left-right from Haye connects, but then Wlad connects with the jab. Both fighters trade shots, neither hurt. Haye has a lot of head movement, foiling Wlad's jab attempts. Hard round to score; 10-10.

Round Two: Both fighters want to get back into it. Jab by Wlad but Haye ducks the followup right. Both fighters whiffing a lot. Haye backs Klitschko up a few times but Wlad is out of reach as he backs up. Both fighters are staying out of range. Wild right from Haye grazes Klitschko, who continues with the jab. Two lefts from Haye. Big jab and right cross from Wlad; Haye is ok, still full of energy. Klitschko 10-9; overall Klitschko 20-19.

Round Three: Cat and mouse game continues. Wlad is connecting slightly with some jabs as Haye is not moving quite as much. Haye connects with a huge right, stunning Klitschko for a moment. Wlad is trying to re-establish control, gives good left-right combo. Now Wlad is showing a lot of head movement. A couple of rights back up Wlad, who comes back with a huge combo himself with Haye against the ropes. The round ends in a clinch. Another even round 10-10; total: Klitschko 30-29.

Round Four: Excitement continues. Klitschko hard right to Haye's head. Clinch against the ropes. Both showing lots of head movement. Round half over. Haye dodging jabs with just his head, counters with his own jab. Klitschko can't solve Haye's movement, but Haye rarely connecting too. Haye's hands are down, he ducks under Wlad's attack. Haye jumps in with combo that mostly misses. Haye connects at the bell but Klitschko wins another hard to score close round. Klitschko 10-9; total 40-38.

Round Five: Will Haye tire? Moving a bit slower this round. Klitschko moving somewhat slower too. Wlad's jab isn't connecting like it normally does, but with Haye's guard down it gets in now and then. Haye rushes in and clinches, then runs in with wild missing punches. Haye hasn't really connected this round, and Wlad is winning on jabs with 1 minute left. Body shot by Haye. Huge right by Klitschko almost floors Haye! But he recovers. Now Wlad is stalking him, pushes him to the ground. Haye stumbles again near the end. Klitschko 10-9; total: 50-47.

Round Six: How will Haye respond? Wlad looks more confident as he tries to take Haye apart now. Haye needs a big offensive push but he's concentrating on defense and elusiveness. Haye is jabbing at the air now, missing by a lot; he rushes in again and clinches low and falls again. Klitschko is starting to take control even as he still has difficulty connecting. Is Haye's best moment over? Wlad wins an uneventful round. Klitschko 10-9; total 60-56

Round Seven: Wlad backing Haye up. Haye clinches and again is pushed down, and Klitschko has a point deducted! Interesting. Haye complains to the ref again, as he has been doing all fight, about pushes. Little action again this round. Big right by Klischko misses as Haye dodges again. Left by Haye. Haye did little this round but get pushed down, making this round a draw. 9-9; Klitschko: 69-65

Round Eight: Jabs from Klitschko are connecting; Haye is still dancing though. Haye is having every fighter's frustration with hitting Wlad, as he rushes in, Wlad jumps back. Left cross by Haye misses, Wlad's jabs whiff as well. The punchstats will be interesting. Another slip by Haye, as the canvas is probably fairly wet by now. Haye needs to make something happen but can't do it, he wraps up with Wlad and punches him in the back. Klitschko 10-9; total: 79-74

Round Nine: Wlad is probably well ahead on the scorecards by now; Haye needs to come up with something while Wlad needs to step it up to get a KO, as Haye is still full of life. Decent shot by Haye, Wlad rolls with it and backs up, Haye doesn't follow. Right by Wlad, as he seems to be trying to lure Haye in. Combo by Klitschko with the round half over. Yet another slip/pushdown by Haye. Fighters trade in the last minute, Haye looks angry, they brawl at the end. Still Klitschko's round however. 10-9; total: 89-83.

Round Ten: Right by Klitschko as Haye's reply whiffs. Looks at the ref again, something about Wlad using the inside of the glove on jabs? Popping jab from Wlad. More jabs, occasional right. Haye running out of steam, or out of ideas. Wlad wrestles Haye from the middle of the ring to the ropes; both fighters somewhat tired. Wlad connects, clinches, Haye tries to punch from the clinch as the round ends. Klitschko 10-9; total 99-92

Round Eleven: Klitschko is dominating the score by winning fairly close rounds, but he should be clearly ahead, meaning Haye needs a KO to win, most likely. Haye lunges in an misses, falling to the canvas, and the annoyed ref gives Haye a standing count! Big jab by Wlad. More of the same this round. Huge overhead right by Haye whiffs. Left jab by Haye, Klitschko responds. Haye lunges and misses again, stumbles on his knees for about the 10th time as the round ends. With the "knockdown", Klitschko wins 10-8; total 109-100.

Round Twelve: Haye lunging in more, showing more offense this round. Will he go for broke? Try to KO Wlad, or be KOed himself? Haye lands a great right; Klitschko holding grotesquely and wrestling to avoid followup shots. Klitschko returns fire with big jabs. Standing toe to toe more than they have all fight, one minute left. Both tired. Haye probably doesn't have the energy as his lunges are ineffective late in the round. Last 10 seconds a brawling clinch. Haye might deserve that round, maybe not, but we'll give it to him Haye 10-9; total: Klitschko 118-110.

In summary, Haye was elusive all fight but rarely connected, and at most won about four rounds. Klitschko's face shows the marks of when Haye landed, but Haye took a beating himself. Most rounds, however, were full of Klitschko jabs with little in return from Haye, just like all of Wladimir's recent fights. But Haye made it harder than anyone has in a long time.

The judges' scorecards: 117-109, 118-108, 116-110 all for Wladimir Klitschko, pretty much exactly in line with how we saw it. Haye and Klitschko shake hands. Haye is saying a broken toe kept him from being able to "push off" to deliver his right hand, something that isn't going to endear him to his detractors. He will take some time off to decide what to do next with his career, but sounds as if it's going to continue.

Wladimir Klitschko retains the top spot in the SportsRatings Heavyweight rankings, while David Haye will fall from #4 to around #10, with a 5-1 heavyweight record. Klitschko improves to 56-3, now holding all the major belts except brother Vitali's WBC title.